Drinking Water Notices

Boil Water Notices

Current Boil Water Notices: Suburban, Fernleigh and East Coast 

Residents using these water supplies should boil all water used for drinking and cooking for at least 1 minute before use. This includes water for:

  • Drinking
  • Cooking
  • Making Ice
  • Brushing Teeth
  • Washing Dishes

Information about how and when to boil water and what to do if you feel unwell. 

Please ensure friends or relatives living in these areas know to boil their water.

Living with Boil Water Notices can be frustrating.Council is currently working with Community and Public Health to identify how these supplies can be upgraded and improved to meet national Drinking Water Standards and have the notices removed.  Updates will be provided as soon as possible.

More information about each boil water notice can be found below.

Suburban:

A boil water notice is in place due to inadequate protection and treatment. Recent tests have indicated the presence of E. Coli in the water. 

The scheme has inadequate treatment in place. After a long period of dry weather, rain in the mountain ranges has led to a deterioration of the raw water quality from the Waimangarara River (from which the Suburban intake is drawn). 

Results of water sampling received February 9th showed the presence of E.Coli. Users may also have noticed high turbidity (particles in the water) following the recent rains. 

More results are expected by Wednesday February 12th. Even if E. Coli is no longer present the boil water notice will remain in place until works to improve the intake, treatment and storage are completed. 

After the November 2016 earthquake investigations found damage to the water intake and changes to the water source. These were on top of already limited protection.

A water safety plan has been approved and the work needed to lift the notice will be scheduled before June 2020. An update is expected by March 2020.

Once improvement works are undertaken and consecutive complying test results are received the notice will be lifted by agreement with Canterbury DHB.

East Coast: 

A boil water notice is in place due to inadequate protection and treatment.

The notice was in place before the November 2016 earthquake. Post-earthquake investigations highlighted the limited protection measures.  The notice will remain in place for the foreseeable future until decisions about the future of the scheme are made and any necessary works carried out.

The East Coast scheme is a very large rural supply used predominately for stock. Due to it's size, it would not be practical or efficient to treat the entire scheme. Discussions with the scheme committee and Canterbury DHB  are underway to look at future options including the potential to classify the scheme as a Rural Agricultural Supply.

Once decisions are made, improvement works are undertaken and consecutive complying test results are received the notice will be lifted by agreement with Canterbury DHB.

Fernleigh: 

A boil water notice is in place due to inadequate treatment barriers and E.Coli being detected in routine water samples.

The scheme is managed and operated by Downer. The Fernleigh Water Management Committee (FWMC) is responsible for the maintenance of the water scheme. Council’s role is to monitor water quality through regular testing.

Once the FWMC has decided on the appropriate upgrade options and improvement works are undertaken and consecutive complying test results are received, the notice will be lifted by agreement with Canterbury DHB.

More information